A public Inquiry into Victoria' State Education System is inviting  both oral and wirtten submissions ( including email submissions) on Victoria's State Education System. Supporters of the State Education System have many concerns about :

funding cuts;

lack of resources;

school closures;

teacher's security of tenure and freedom of speech;

retention rates; etc

But, behind all these concerns, and integral to the breakdown of our public system,  the social and sectarian fragmentation of our society into multiple tribes is the issue of

STATE AID TO PRIVATE CHURCH SCHOOLS

The personnel on the People Together Panel are highly unlikely to bite this State Aid bullet. In fact, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Panel has been stacked by Private School sympathisers in order to prevent the issue gaining any kind of airing.

Consider the following information from Who's Who

Mr Peter McMullin, the Chair, is from "Small Change", a group which has some connection with Public Education.

The Hon. John Fogarty, AM was educated at Christian Brothers College St. Kilda

Dr. Renate Howe, is the wife of a ex-Labor politician whose party legitimised State Aid to private schools in the 1970s

Dr. Simon Marginson supports the inclusion of Roman Catholic Schools into a newly defined public system.

Dr. David Dyer AM  was the headmaster of Camberwell Grammer School 1966-87; Ballarat College 1960-66; Assistant Master St. Peter's College South Australia 1956-60; In 1995 WHO's WHO it was noted that he was on the Board of Management of the Mentone Grammar Schools

Dr. Janet McCalman : actual connection with public or private schools not established.

Sr. Angela Ryan: is connected with the Roman Catholic Church

Bishop Michael Challen is the head of the Brotherhood of St. Lawrence and attended Mordiallac High School

Fr. Peter Norden  is from the Jesuit Order in Melbourne.

D.O.G.S. believe that  an enquiry into Public Education should be dominated by those with a proven commitment in word and deed to the system. D.O.G.S. would not have selected any of the above members of any panel set up to enquire into public education.

You could imagine the outcry from the private church school system if D.O.G.S. set up a public enquiry into the private church school system with persons selected by them with undoubted connections and commitment to public education.

You may wish to communicate this sentiment to the People Together Project.

Their email address is : educate@peopletogether.org and the Web Page is: http://www.peopletogether.org